Creative competition
by Skovko
Summary: Clarissa is part of a creative competition that's running on tv week after week. They started twelve. Now they're four left. She's in for a surprise of her life when this week is going to be performance art. They're all being teamed with wrestlers to entertain the judges. She's ready for the challenge, she's open to the men about her issues, and deeper feelings start to surface.
1. Performance art

Clarissa looked at the other contestants. They had started twelve people. Now they were down to the final four. She was part of a big creative competition being shown on tv week after week. Half a million dollars was on the line.

"Four of you left," Helena said.

The former top model Helena Christensen was the top judge for this competition. Like others before her, she had turned to tv with a reality show like this. Week after week the contestants had been given different creative tasks. Clarissa had been one of the top contestants throughout most of the competition. She had only come close to leaving one week and she had been saved by another contestant breaking the rules.

"This week we're looking into performance art," Helena said. "You won't be working alone for this one. Follow me."

Helena started walking followed by the four remaining contestants and the camera crew. Clarissa grabbed her wavy, chestnut brown hair to put it up in a ponytail just as Helena opened the door to another room. When Clarissa stepped inside, her jaw dropped along with her hair. She forgot all about putting her hair up when she looked at the twelve wrestlers standing there. Her moss green eyes scanned the row of people she watched on a weekly basis and considered herself to be a fan of. Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, Big Show, Sheamus, Cesaro, The Miz, AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura, Viktor, Konnor and Braun Strowman.

"Are you okay there, Clarissa?" Helena chuckled.  
"This is... This is..." Clarissa stuttered.  
"You wanna say something?" Helena asked.

Clarissa looked at Roman and put on a smile.

"I am so sorry for this. Please, forgive me," she said.

She ran to Roman and jumped up in his arms. He caught her with a laugh and hugged her back for a few seconds before putting her back down on the ground. She was blushing like crazy, and he couldn't help but smile at how flustered she looked. She bit her lip before turning around and jogging back to the spot she had been standing on moments before. She looked over at Helena.

"Sorry," Clarissa said.  
"I take it you're a wrestling fan," Helena said.  
"Big time," Clarissa grinned.  
"You're gonna love this challenge then," Helena said. "You'll all be given three wrestlers to work with for a tag match for next week. What's gonna happen in that match is up to you. If you fail to entertain us, you're going home."

Helena held a dramatic pause for the camera before she continued.

"Clarissa, since you were the winner of last week's challenge, you won an advantage this week. You get to choose the three wrestlers you wanna work with," Helena said.  
"Really?" Clarissa beamed. "I'm taking the Shield guys."

Roman, Seth and Dean all smirked and rolled their shoulders before moving over to stand behind her.

"For the rest of you we're gonna draw random names," Helena said. "It's up to you to put the match together any way you want to. The match must last five minutes tops. These men know what they're doing so it would be wise to listen to them, but in the end it's your call how you want this to go down. Also, we're moving you out of the shared house and into separate penthouse apartments where there's room for you and your assigned wrestlers. You're gonna be living together for the next week. Get ready to entertain us."

After the wrestlers had been combined with a contestant each, the four contestants were sent back to the house to pack their things. An hour later Clarissa entered the penthouse apartment where the three men already sat in the living room. They went quiet when she entered.

"Awkward," she said.

She shifted her weight from foot to foot before looking at Roman.

"I really am sorry about earlier. I don't want you to think I'm some crazy fan trying to get in your pants. I just figured that if I lose this competition, at least I'll always have that memory," Clarissa said.  
"Don't worry about it. I like hugs," Roman said.  
"And I don't see you losing. You've been on top all the way through," Seth said.  
"Not all the way," Clarissa said. "I should have gotten the boot on the sewing challenge."  
"Bye bye, Liza!" Dean grinned.

Another contestant by the name Liza had cheated that week. It was week four. Clarissa had won the first three weeks and everyone else felt threatened by her. That week they had a sewing challenge. Liza snuck in during the night to pour paint over Clarissa's dress. For some odd reason Liza thought the cameras would be turned off during the night. The footage sent Liza packing and saved Clarissa.

"I got lucky. I can't sew," Clarissa said.  
"We all got our weaknesses," Roman said. "But you know what our favorite challenge was?"  
"Wait, you actually watch the show?" Clarissa said.  
"Of course. We've known all along we would be part of it. We had to see who we might end up working with," Roman said.  
"We've all been rooting for you," Dean added.  
"Will you please sit down?" Roman asked.

She dropped her bags and walked over to sit down on the couch next to Roman.

"So what was your favorite challenge?" Clarissa asked.  
"Last week," Seth grinned.  
"That was so funny," Dean snickered. "The look on the judges faces. They were shocked."  
"Hey, they told us to sing a song normally sung by the opposite sex. I didn't break any rules. It's not my fault everyone else picked sleazy love songs that could be sung by anyone," Clarissa said.  
"I loved your choice," Dean grinned before starting to sing. "Fuck away the pain... La la la... Okay, I don't remember all the words but you fucking nailed it."

Clarissa grinned back at him. They were already making it so easy to be around them. It felt like she was sitting there with old friends who understood her. The week before she had shocked the judges by singing "Fuck Away The Pain" by Divide The Day. Despite being shocked, they had still decided she was the winner of the challenge.

"So what do you wanna do for our match?" Seth asked.  
"I wanna lose," Clarissa answered.  
"Why?" Roman asked.  
"It's not hard to figure out what the others are gonna do. They're gonna team with the biggest guy, have him beat down the other two and then being tagged in for the pin," Clarissa said.

She looked around at the three men. They were all listening without interfering.

"So I wanna lose. And I wanna take bumps. I wanna actually try and wrestle somehow," Clarissa said.  
"It's gonna hurt," Roman said.  
"I know," Clarissa said. "But if I wanna nail this one and make sure to be among the final three, I have to stand out."  
"I don't know. If you get hurt, how can you continue in the competition?" Roman said.  
"Don't go papa bear on her. She's with us. We're some of the safest workers. And she's got a point. She has to stand out," Seth said.

The three men looked at each other and nodded. They were on board.

"What are you gonna do with half a million dollars if you win?" Dean asked.  
"Buy a home," Clarissa answered.  
"Where do you live now?" Seth asked.  
"Nowhere," Clarissa answered.  
"You're homeless?" Roman asked.

Clarissa sighed and looked down. No one knew about her problems.

"I had an apartment when I signed up for this competition. I knew I was about to be evicted. The building was about to be demolished and I failed to find another home. Coming here was my last hope. I was happy I was chosen as one of the final twelve. No one here knows about my situation, and I don't want them to know," Clarissa said.

She felt Roman's hand in hers. She looked down at their joined hands before looking up at his face.

"I don't just want to win this competition," Clarissa continued. "I need to win."  
"And you will," Roman said. "Tomorrow morning we're gonna work on our match. If you got an idea, let's bring it to life."


	2. Towel

Clarissa didn't know who Roman had called in for a favor but wrestling gear matching his in her size had been delivered. Black cargo pants and a denim vest with a picture of a bulldog. She looked around at the other three contestants that were standing in gym clothes. She already stood out.

"If you will all reach into the bag and pick a number," Helena said.

They all picked a number from the bag. Clarissa smiled widely when she picked number 4. She was gonna go on last. Last was always a good position. Their match would be the last thing the judges would see.

"Okay, Karyna, you're first," Helena said.

They all sat down in the back and watched. Clarissa had been right about the other three. They all teamed with the biggest guy, had him beat down the other two and then got tagged in for the pin. None of them actually did any wrestling moves. She discreetly looked at the three men she was working with. They were all grinning at what they were seeing. They knew just as well as her that they were gonna stand out.

"Clarissa, you're up," Helena said.

Clarissa walked up to stand on the apron in one corner. Seth was standing in the opposite corner. Roman and Dean started the match. So far it looked like Clarissa was gonna do what the other contestants had done. Roman beat down Dean quickly. They only had five minutes to work with so it couldn't be a long match.

"Tag me in!" Clarissa yelled.

Roman tagged Clarissa in. She ran in with a leg drop on Dean. It was a simple move but she could already see the judges open their eyes a little wider. They were already impressed that she actually wrestled even though she didn't go crazy.

She covered Dean but he kicked out at 1. He pushed her away and crawled fast towards Seth to tag him in. Seth jumped up on the top rope to jump in with a knee. She moved to the side and he crashed down. Dean jumped back in even though he wasn't tagged in. Roman jumped in as well, about to spear Dean out of the ring again. Seth quickly jumped up and pushed Clarissa in front of Roman. She was speared directly into Dean and they both landed on the mat. Dean took most of the blow for her but it looked great for the people watching.

"Jesus!" Helena blurted out.

A superkick from Seth took Roman out. Dean pushed Clarissa away from him before rolling out of the ring as well. Clarissa moved up on her hands and knees. Seth ran in with a stomp, smashing her head down in the apron. As she laid there while he rolled her up for the three count, she did her hardest not to smile. Everything had gone according to plan. The match stopped and the judges all clapped.

"Now that was a match!" Helena said. "Are you okay, Clarissa?"  
"Yes, it was fun," Clarissa answered.  
"Fun?" Karyna snorted lowly. "Most stupid challenge ever!"

Big Show rolled his eyes and looked over at the Shield guys. No words were needed. They could see Big Show had had a hard time working with Karyna. They were sure they were gonna hear all about it once they were away from the cameras.

"The judges and I will now deliberate and then we'll come back out to tell you who entertained us the most and who will be going home," Helena said.

The judges disappeared into another room. Roman put his arm around Clarissa and kissed the top of her head.

"You got this," Roman assured her. "No way you're not winning this round."  
"I hope so," Clarissa sighed. "Thank you. This week has been the most fun week ever."  
"Likewise," Roman chuckled. "You've been a good sport about everything."  
"And you're our friend now," Dean added.  
"I could always use a few more friends," Clarissa smirked. "Beers on you?"  
"If you win this whole thing, sure, I'll take you out for a round of beers," Dean chuckled.

The judges came back around 15 minutes later. The four contestants lined up in front of Helena.

"There was no argument who the winner of this week's challenge is. Clarissa," Helena smiled.

Clarissa smiled back and moved to the side. She looked over at the three men she had worked with. They were all smiling at her. Roman even winked at her.

"The real argument was who is the loser. Your matches were so similar. None of you even tried anything inside the ring," Helena said. "It all came down to a comment made by one of you afterwards. Karyna, I get you don't like wrestling and that's okay, but it's not okay to slam down other people's hard work because you don't find it appealing. These men work hard for a living and you should respect that. Your time in this competition is over."

Karyna turned around without a word and walked directly out of the room. Some people were too proud to admit when they were wrong. Helena shook her head and then looked at the three remaining contestants.

"The final three," Helena smiled. "The finale is next week. There's no more advantages. This is it. Entertain us or leave with nothing."

Helena held one of her classic, dramatic pauses for the camera.

"For the finale you will need to combine two former challenges. It's up to you to pick which two you will use and how you're gonna combine them. You'll get an hour to think about it and then you will have to report back to us with your answer. You're not allowed to tell the other contestants about your choice," Helena said.

Clarissa looked over at Roman, Seth and Dean. All three men nodded to silently tell her that they would be there for her if she chose to pick the wrestling challenge again. The three contestants were escorted to a room each to think about what they wanted to do. Finally Clarissa was called in to face the judges.

"Clarissa," Helena smiled. "What have you chosen?"  
"Wrestling and singing," Clarissa said.  
"Interesting. Well, you sure owned those two challenges. I can't wait to see what you'll come up with," Helena said.

When she finally made it back to the penthouse apartment, it was dead quiet. She wasn't sure what she had expected. Maybe that the guys would still be there since she was gonna work with them for another week.

She went to take a shower. She was still wearing the ring gear Roman had got made for her. She loved the gear. Another memory to take with her next week once this competition was gone for good. She finished the shower, wrapped a towel around her body, opened the door and looked shocked at Roman who stood there with a smirk on his face. He gave her body an elevator stare before looking into her eyes again.

"I guess I should have knocked on the door to let you know we were back," he said.  
"Why do I keep getting myself into awkward moments around you?" She asked.  
"Must be my charm," he grinned. "But between you and me, I love that you do. Maybe next time you'll be naked."  
"In your dreams," she laughed.  
"I'm having very pleasant dreams right now," he laughed too.

He gave her another elevator stare and bit his lip while letting out a little sound of satisfaction.

"We brought pizza," he said. "Go get dressed."

He walked back into the living room where Dean was cutting the family sized pizza into slices.

"Is she coming?" Dean asked.  
"She's getting dressed," Roman said.  
"You saw her naked?" Seth smirked.  
"In a towel," Roman smirked back. "But I fucking love what I saw."  
"Just ask her out already. You clearly like her," Seth said.  
"Maybe after the competition. She needs her head in the game for the final week. I won't fuck that up for her," Roman said.

They all stopped talking and looked in her direction as she entered the living room. She wore a long, red and white striped maxi dress.

"Hi, guys," Clarissa said.  
"You look like a Christmas treat," Dean grinned.  
"Wrap a ribbon around my stomach and gift me to someone," Clarissa joked.

Dean and Seth both looked at Roman. Roman gave them a stern look back in return. Clarissa didn't see anything since she was too busy reaching into the pizza box to grab a slice.

"So what did you combine with wrestling?" Dean asked.  
"Singing," Clarissa answered.  
"We're not gonna sing, are we?" Seth asked.  
"No, you're not. I got an idea and I hope you're willing to perform a little different," Clarissa said.  
"What's on your mind?" Roman cracked a smile.  
"Do you still have those wolves masks?" Clarissa asked.  
"I'll call right away to get them sent out here," Roman answered.


	3. Tag, you're it

Roman looked at his phone again. 15 minutes had passed since he heard Clarissa move out of her room. She had gone to the bathroom first to pee. He knew that because he heard the toilet flush. Then she had moved to the kitchen. He had assumed she wanted something to drink before going back to bed. Now 15 minutes had passed and she still hadn't walked back to her room. He gave up the struggle in his head, got out of bed and walked out in the kitchen. He found her staring at a bowl with melted ice cream in it.

"You know, normally people eat it rather than just stare at it," he said.

She looked up and gave him a tired smile.

"I was gonna eat it but then I wasn't sure it would be the best thing to do when I have to pretend to be a wrestler tomorrow," she said.  
"It's okay to be nervous," he said.  
"I'm more than nervous. Tomorrow is the big day. This is it, Roman. I'll either win or I'll go..." She sighed. "I don't know where I'll go. I got nowhere to go. I need to win."

He picked up the bowl, rinsed it under the water in the sink and put it in the dish washer.

"You'll win," he said.  
"I wish I had your confidence," she said.  
"It's not about confidence. I've been watching every week. There's no way you won't win. You are the best by far," he said.  
"Does the world like me?" She looked up at him. "We're not allowed to have any outside contact. It's been three months like that and I have no clue if I'm liked or not."  
"You got a lot of fans and you also got those that don't like you. It's that way with anyone getting any type of fame. It doesn't matter that some don't like you. There's more that do and you're gonna prove the haters wrong," he said.

He took her hand and gently yanked her up from the chair.

"You need to get some sleep," he said.  
"I can't sleep," she said.  
"Fine, I'll entertain you until you fall asleep," he said.

Still holding on to her hand, he walked with her back to her room. They both lied down on the bed. He stared at her through the darkness. Her moss green eyes were open and staring back at him.

"Close your eyes," he said.  
"My mind won't shut up," she said.  
"You got a beautiful, creative mind," he said.

He moved forward and kissed her forehead.

"Sometimes it's a gift, other times it's a curse. It never shuts up," she said.  
"It's a gift," he said. "You got what a lot of people dream about. I've watched you on tv. The way your eyes light up when you got an idea. And you're not gonna let anyone talk you out of it. You've proven time after time that you know what you're doing."  
"I can't sew," she reminded him.  
"Who cares? You got so much else going for you. You took a fucking spear of all things," he said.  
"Dean caught me," she said.  
"It still hurt. I know it did. And you took it like a champ. You're gonna win tomorrow. You simply can't lose," he said.

He ran his fingers through her hair and gently placed his hand on her neck. His thumb was stroking her skin. It felt soft and delicate to him. He moved his head a bit closer before clearing his throat, letting go of her and rolling over on his back. He couldn't kiss her. Not now. It would mess up everything. She needed a clear head for the competition tomorrow.

"Close your eyes and sleep, Clarissa," he said.  
"I can't," she sighed and rolled over on her back too. "Shut up, brain!"  
"How about I just talk your ear off until you doze of?" He asked.  
"That actually sounds like a good idea. Tell me about your life," she said.  
"Well, I'm the baby of the family," he started.

* * *

Clarissa took a deep breath next day. She was about to give all she had for the judges. She adjusted her head microphone. The lights went out and she quickly got up into the ring. Music started playing and a spotlight shone down on her to reveal her standing in a long, white dress.

She started singing "Tag, You're It" by Melanie Martinez. Its haunting, creepy lyrics blended well into the innocence she portraited. Sneaking in from the sides came Roman, Seth and Dean dressed in all black and with their wolves masks on. They grabbed her as she sang the final part of the song. The final image for the judges to see before the lights went off again.

She quickly tore off the dress, put on the vest and zipped it up. At least she could wear the cargo pants and the boots under the dress. The lights went on again, and she stood in the corner like the week before with Dean in the opposite corner. All three men had taken off their wolves masks. Roman and Seth started the match this time around.

The two men battled back and forward for a little bit. Seth pushed Roman into his corner. Clarissa tagged herself in. Roman gave her an annoyed look as she stepped through the ropes with a little smile on her face. She ran in with a knee to Seth's stomach. Just as she turned around, Roman came flying with a superman punch, sending her straight down on top of Seth.

"That's what you get!" Dean yelled.

Dean climbed through the ropes and yanked her up. He kicked her in the stomach, grabbed her arms and sent her down with a dirty deeds. He stood up and looked at Seth and Roman that nodded in return.

"Bring her up!" Roman demanded.

Seth and Dean grabbed an arm each. Roman leaned back and let out his trademark roar. Clarissa was nervous as they lifted her up on Roman's shoulders despite having rehearsed it several times. So far they had protected her with the few bumps she had taken. This one was hers alone.

It went so fast. She slammed down on the mat and laid there with her eyes closed and her arms spread out. She wished she could open her eyes and see the three men standing over her fallen body with their fists together. She would have to find that footage online afterwards.

"Thank you," Helena said.

Roman reached a hand down and helped Clarissa up to stand.

"The judges and I will now deliberate. When we come back, we'll announce who managed to entertain us for good," Helena said.

The judges left the room and left everyone standing in an awkward silence. This was it. There was no second chances anymore.

"You got this," Roman placed a hand on Clarissa's shoulder. "This is your time."

She didn't answer him. She had no idea what to say. Instead she grabbed a bottle of water and walked over to lean up against the wall. She closed her eyes and tried thinking everything through from this final challenge. What she had done and what the others had done. She heard someone lean up against the wall next to her. She opened her eyes and wasn't surprised to see Roman there.

"I can't get away from you, can I?" She asked.  
"Not by a long shot," he smirked.  
"I wanna ask you something," she said.  
"Fire away," he said.  
"Last night," she looked nervous. "There was a second there where it seemed like you were gonna kiss me. I'm sure I'm reading into it way too much and I'm seeing ghosts, but I gotta know, Roman. It's been on my mind all day and I just gotta know if I'm imagining things."

He smiled at her. He opened his mouth to answer but was cut off by the judges coming back already. That hadn't taken them long. Clarissa moved away from the wall and went to stand in front of Helena along with the other two contestants.

"We've seen so much from you three. Not bad from a first time competition. You brought your A game which is why you're standing in front of me right now," Helena said.

Helena did her dramatic pause. The last dramatic pause Clarissa would ever experience from the former top model.

"But in the end only one of you entertained our socks off," Helena smiled widely. "Congratulations, Clarissa."  
"Oh my god!" Clarissa brought her hands to her mouth. "Are you for real right now?"  
"You are our winner," Helena said.

Arms wrapped around Clarissa's stomach and swung her around in joy. She knew it was Roman. Seth and Dean came running in to hug her too.

"Congratulations, baby girl," Roman whispered.


	4. Flip a house

The next few hours had been in a blur. Pictures had been taken. People had been talking. Everything had gone crazy and fast. Now she was back in the penthouse apartment to pack her things. She was a rich woman but still had nowhere to go.

"Knock knock," Roman said.

She turned around to see him lean up against the door frame.

"How are you feeling?" He asked.  
"My head is spinning. I still can't believe it," she answered.  
"Believe it," he smiled. "You won."  
"Thanks to you. I'm so grateful what you guys did for me," she said.  
"Both matches were your ideas. We just helped you make them come true," he said.  
"Where are Dean and Seth?" She asked.  
"They both had to fly home already. I'm the only one left. They asked me to give you a big hug and tell you they're proud of what you did," he answered.

He pushed himself off the door frame and stepped into her room.

"Where are you gonna go?" He asked.  
"Back to Florida. I'll find a hotel to crash in for a few days," she answered.  
"You're from Florida too?" He asked.  
"Born and raised," she answered.  
"How about coming back home with me then?" He asked.

She stared at him in disbelief. He couldn't help but chuckle at her facial expression.

"Until you figure out what you want," he said.  
"I know what I want. And I finally got the money for the project," she said.  
"What project?" He asked.  
"There's this old house that's been on sale for ages. I wanna buy it and flip it. I can live in it while working on it. I need to do it now while my name is still hot. Next year someone else will come here and try their luck with this competition and I will be forgotten. If I wanna flip a house and sell it, I gotta do it now. I know I can do it," she said.  
"That reminds me," he said.

He started grinning while pulling out his phone. He started a video call and soon Stephanie McMahon appeared on the screen.

"Hello, Roman," Stephanie said.  
"I'm here with Clarissa," Roman said.

Roman turned his phone so that Stephanie and Clarissa could see each other.

"Clarissa, you've been very impressive in this competition," Stephanie said.  
"Thank you," Clarissa said.  
"And the guys tell me you've been a pleasure to work with as well," Stephanie said.  
"I try," Clarissa said.  
"I'd like to offer you a job," Stephanie said.  
"A job?" Clarissa asked.

Clarissa looked up at Roman but he just stood there with a warm smile on his face. She turned her eyes back to Stephanie again.

"We're turning Roman heel soon and we think you could be part of that storyline. People know you from tv already. They know you've worked together. We want you in a general manager role at first. It will be Roman bringing in a friend to fill that position until he turns on you and lays you out," Stephanie said.  
"Oh, so a short gig," Clarissa said.  
"As a GM, yes. We would love to have you on our creative team afterwards," Stephanie said.  
"Oh, wow! I don't know what to say," Clarissa said.  
"Say yes," Roman chuckled.  
"Yes!" Clarissa shrieked in joy. "Yes, I'd love to. Thank you so much."  
"Great. Roman will bring you around next week," Stephanie said. "Goodbye."

Roman hung up and looked at her. She launched herself into his arms and hugged him.

"Thank you," she said.  
"Don't thank me. Stephanie contacted me about this. She's been following the show as well. This one is on you. You did all the work that impressed her from afar," he said.

She tilted her head and looked up at him. He moved a hand to her face and gently ran his fingers through her hair like the night before.

"As long as you're GM, you'll only work live tv. That'll give you time to flip that house. And I'll help whenever I'm home," he said.  
"I couldn't ask that of you," she said.  
"You're not asking. I'm offering," he smiled. "You're going home with me today. Call about that house tomorrow. Once it's yours, I'll help you move into it and get started. Once it's flipped and sold, you can move back in with me."  
"Why?" She asked.

He chuckled and stroked her cheek.

"I never got to answer your question earlier," he said.

He leaned down and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around him tighter while getting lost in the kiss.

"Yes, I almost kissed you last night. I wanted to so badly but I didn't wanna mess with your head this close to the finale," he said.  
"You're a weird man," she said.  
"So I've been told," he smirked. "But now the competition is over, I'm gonna kiss you again and again."

To get his point across, he kissed her again. Again she tightened her arms around him while she melted into the kiss.

"Would you like to go on a date with me?" He asked.  
"Do you really need to ask?" She giggled.  
"Tomorrow night," he said. "You'll work alongside with me in WWE and on the house. I think we'll know quickly whether or not we should be together while constantly being close. And if I'm right, and mostly I am, once you've flipped that house, we're at a point where we're ready to move in together."  
"You got it all planned out," she laughed.  
"I hope so," he laughed too. "All I know is that I wanna see where this is going. I wanna be with you."


End file.
